1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a stacking apparatus for successively supplying boards, for instance identical sheets of cardboard, and forming stacks of these boards and ordering these stacks in chosen patterns.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Once such prior art apparatus has:
a feed conveyor for successively supplying boards individually, in overlapping relation or in part-stacks; PA1 a stacking station connecting onto the end of the feed conveyor and having a supporting base and a stop extending vertically and perpendicularly of the transporting direction of the feed conveyor for bringing to a standstill the boards supplied by the feed conveyor such that a stack of boards supported by the supporting base is formed; and PA1 discharge means for discharging a stack from the supporting base. PA1 the stop is drivable by drive means such that in a stationary stop position it can bring the supplied boards to a standstill until the thus formed stack has reached a desired height, is subsequently moved from the front surface of the stack to the rear surface of the stack and from this position displaces the stack by pushing over the supporting base to a position in which the rear surface of the stack lies beyond the initial position of the front surface or in which the stack lies with its front surface against the rear surface of a previously formed stack; and PA1 discharge means are present for removing formed stacks from the supporting base.
Such a stacking apparatus is known in diverse embodiments. For forming of stacks and ordering of these stacks in chosen patterns stations are required which are functionally and actually separated from each other. This makes a stacking apparatus of the known type expensive, while the known apparatus also takes up a relatively large amount of space.
It is an object of the invention to embody a stacking apparatus such that it can be constructed relatively inexpensively and take up relatively little space.